91°µÍø

The field for the 2026 U.S. Beach Nationals is growing and becoming more competitive. The event returns to historic Huntington Beach, Calif., on Saturday, August 15. As of Tuesday, athletes are registered from 16 states, including several competitors with impressive past achievements in beach wrestling.

There is still time to register for the U.S. Beach Nationals and to compete on the sand this weekend.

The age divisions for the U.S. Beach Nationals are: 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Junior, Masters A, Masters B, Masters C, Masters D, Masters E, Masters F, Senior Men’s Beach, Senior Women’s Beach, U17 Men’s Beach, U17 Women’s Beach, U20 Men’s Beach, U20 Women’s Beach.

Tyson Beauperthuy of Colorado, who competes for the Tiger WC and has numerous Beach achievements at the Senior and age-group levels, will wrestle in the Senior division at 90 kg. Beauperthuy won a bronze medal at the 2023 Senior World Series Constanta in Romania. He is a two-time U.S. Senior Beach Nationals champion (2023, 2024) and a 2025 California Beach Nationals champion. Beauperthuy won a silver medal at the 2025 Senior Pan American Championships. At the age-group level, he won a gold medal at the 2025 FISU World Championships in Brazil.

Sadie Evans of Washington, who competes for the FordDynasty WC, will wrestle in the 70 kg weight class in both the Senior and U20 age divisions. Evans won a bronze medal at the 2024 U17 Beach World Championships. She placed second at the 2025 U.S. Beach Nationals in the Senior division. Evans was a member of the U.S. Team at Senior Beach World Series events in Croatia, Greece and Egypt. She also claimed a silver medal at the 2025 U20 Pan American Beach Wrestling Championships.

Cheyanne Wolfard-Henry of Washington, who competes for the FordDynasty WC, will wrestle at 70 kg in the U20 division and at 75 kg in the U17 division. Wolfard-Henry won the gold medal at 75 kg in the U17 division at the 2026 Carolina Beach Nationals. She was a member of the 2025 U.S. U17 Beach World Team, which competed in Greece.

Ian Murphy of California, who competes for the Mad Cow WC, is registered in the Senior men’s division in the Over 90 kg weight class. Murphy won a gold medal at the 2025 California Beach Nationals in the Over 90 kg weight class.

Owen Uppinghouse of Illinois, who placed third at the 2026 Carolina Beach Nationals in the Senior division, will compete in the Senior 90 kg weight class at Huntington Beach.

91°µÍø has alternated the U.S. Beach Nationals between the East Coast in North Carolina and the West Coast in California in recent seasons. Many of those registered for the 2026 U.S. Beach Nationals also won age-group titles at the 2025 California Beach Nationals, which were held in Huntington Beach.

Lorenzo Jauregui of Upland High School, the 2025 California Beach Nationals Junior champion at 131 pounds, will once again compete in the Junior division at the 2026 U.S. Beach Nationals. Last year’s California Beach Junior Girls champion at 116.2 pounds, Lillyana Torres-Wynne of the Socal Grappling Club, will wrestle in the 16U and Junior divisions this year. Logan Ulmer, a Junior 190-pound champion at the 2025 California Beach Nationals, is entered in the U20 division at 90 kg this weekend.

A 2025 California Beach Nationals Junior champion at 126.4 pounds, Dylan Duran of Marina High School, will compete in the U17 division at 60 kg this year. Arrow Ballon of the Savage House WC, last year’s California Beach Nationals 10U champion at 52.5 pounds, returns to the 10U division this year. The 6U Boys champion at 48 pounds in the 2025 California Beach Nationals, Paul Rafanan III of the Riverside Rascals, is entered in the 8U division this year. A 2025 California Beach Nationals Masters B champion at 88 kg, Michael Lopez of the Elite Panthers WC, returns to the Masters B 88 kg weight class again this year.

Ron Cole of Washington, a 2007 Veterans World champion in freestyle and multiple medalist at the Veterans World Championships, is entered in the Masters F division at the U.S. Beach Nationals. Wayne Lamont, a 2025 U.S. Beach Nationals Masters A champion at 78 kg, is entered in both the Senior and Masters A divisions.

The U.S. Beach Nationals is an important qualifying event for U.S. international teams. Senior athletes compete in the UWW Senior Beach World Series, which is held at five locations each year. There are Age-Group Beach World Championship events at the U17 and U20 levels. There are also Pan American Beach Championships at multiple age levels (U15, U17, U20, U23, Senior). Placement at this year’s U.S. Nationals is a major criterion for selecting future teams at these levels.

Please note that there is an optional registration and weigh-in for all divisions (except U17, U20 and Senior) on Friday night from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Zack’s By The Beach. All others who did not weigh in on Friday can register and weigh in on Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Huntington Beach. 

A medical certificate is required to compete in Masters’ C, D, E, and F and must be submitted at weigh-ins. International athletes (including Canadians) are eligible for all age divisions except the U15, U17, U20 and Senior age group divisions for both men and women.

Don’t be shy. If you have not tried Beach Wrestling yet, this is a perfect chance to compete in this popular and growing wrestling discipline. If you have already competed in Beach Wrestling, you are invited back for a fun and competitive event.